Life's A Beach

Like I said previously, I'm too lazy to take pictures.  But these are the few moments I managed to capture.  Enjoy!

You Are A Bitch, And So Is Karma

The first thing that I do whenever I go to a counter is to look for a line or the end of it.  I think for instances where transactions are queued, that is the most logical course of action.  It is beyond my comprehension why some people think they can just barge in as if their business is all that matters.

My return flight to Manila was through Cebu Pacific via the Kalibo International Airport.  Since I was a time freak, I was eagerly waiting to see preparations for boarding a few minutes before the specified time (6:40 PM).  At exactly 6:40 PM, the announcement came but it was not for boarding.  They asked us to re-check in because the flight that's supposed to carry us will not make it and they had to bump us in a different flight.  Having been used to these situations with CebuPac, I non-chalantly headed to the check in counter.  When I got there, there were two counters servicing one line each.  I went to the counter that only had three people ahead of me.

Alas, a sunburnt fatty bitch came and ignored our line to question the attendant regarding the changes in departure time.  We thought she was just there to ask her question but we got shocked when she handed her old boarding pass and stayed there.  I could see the shocked faces of the girl in front of me and her companion.  I could feel my ears turn red in rage as I want to smack that bitch down.

After the attendant returned the boarding pass of the first person in line, he collected the old passes of the rest of us and began processing them.  The girl who barged in shouted asking what happened to their boarding passes.  When the attendant refused to answer her, she started to make a scene screaming at the top of her lungs.  The people who she bypassed were hiding their smiles.  It's like we triumphed over a the sunburnt fatty bully of a bitch!

What's more satisfying to hear is when the other attendant told the screaming lady that they are processing the boarding passes on a first come first served basis.  Since there were people waiting in line before she came, they would process their boarding passes first.  And with that she directed the lady to the end of the line.  We can still hear her whining but for us, karma has just been served.

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="412"] Photo Credit Goes To WalrusOyster.com[/caption]

Realisations During Happy Hour

Late afternoons in Boracay spells "happy hour" for me and my friends.  Since I'm not much of a drinker, I drown myself with mocktails while watching people pass us by as we wait for that majestic sunset.  Normally, half of the gang are experiencing the pristine waters while the rest are just lounging around or playing games.

[caption id="attachment_124" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Who would want to throw their cig butts in this place?[/caption]

Then manong magbabalut came with what I consider one of the best dish Philippines has to offer, the Balut!  So my balut-buddy and I got up and left our chairs, went to the banks away from the beach to eat.  Such action felt quite automatic for us knowing that the island outlawed eating and smoking at the beach last year.

My friend started to puff then she asked me this, "What if they ban smoking not only at the beach but in the entire island?"  My automatic response would be, "well, considering how strictly they are implementing rules here, I guess people will just follow.  They would just get used to it."  And she agreed.

I realised shortly, that yeah, while people like myself got used to eating my food where I should, a step further shouldn't hurt.  If my friend wouldn't mind transferring to a designated area just to smoke or hold the urge if that area is already crowded, then others shouldn't mind as well.  If people in a small island like Boracay responded well to these ordinances, there might be hope for the metro-dwellers.

The scale might be different but I guess benefits would be the same for both geographies.  The beachfront is much cleaner now that tourists and locals hold shared responsibilities in maintaining the island.  I could only imagine how Manila or other cities would benefit if we can show the same discipline.  Who wouldn't want to see people use the elevated walkways instead of crossing the freeway and risk getting hit.  Or when buses stop on designated loading and unloading zones.

Yeah I know its easier said than done.  But we Filipinos are so used to stopping whenever we realise how much of a trouble an action would cause us.  And then later on use that statement to justify our inaction.

Unfortunately, we are starting to lose reasons not to act responsibly and practice discipline at all times.

Of Vacations And Photography

The thing about me and photography is that I'm always too lazy to take out my camera to capture those awesome moments.  I just let other people capture it for me.  But there are fleeting times when I get the impulse to patience to pan and shoot and they would turn out perfect.  In a place like Boracay, where almost everything may look amazing, this is not very hard to achieve.

So whenever I'm there, I make it a point to shoot one or two pretty pictures.

 

[caption id="attachment_119" align="aligncenter" width="545"] Sand, Sea, Sky[/caption]

Who would not fall in love with its powdery white sand, pristine green waters and its majestic sunset.

[caption id="attachment_120" align="aligncenter" width="545"] Tale Of Two Sunsets[/caption]

Aside from the view, another thing that is worth capturing would be the people.

[caption id="attachment_121" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Obligatory Paparazzi Shot[/caption]

I Have Returned

The past few days made me look like I was hiding under the rock but really, I was just in one amazing getaway.  For the first time this year, I was out of town!  I can't believe it took so long for me to have something like this.  The people of Boracay rejoiced and celebrated as I set foot on their lovely sand again.  They have missed me, and I have missed them more!

So after checking in at the hotel, I immediately headed out to check out what I have missed.  The last time I was in the island was November of last year for my cousin's wedding and there were a lot of buildings being constructed at the beachfront.  Now, most of it are done.  It surely gave the Boracay beachfront its new look.  Aside from new hotels, most of the street vendors are no longer there.  They now have a designated tent where most of the souvenirs can be bought at a bargain.

My friends and I ate late lunch at Caffe Caruso, an Italian resto in one of the newer luxury hotels in Station 2, The District.  This is the same Caffe Caruso you will find in Makati however, prices in this one appear to be a little cheaper.

[caption id="attachment_107" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Photo Credit goes to Dencio.com[/caption]

After lunch we did a little bargain hunting at D' Talipapa and then headed back to our respective hotels to get some snooze before dinner.  Since it is just our first day, we opted to ignore the call of the happy hour because we need to prepare for our first big night.  We went back to D' Talipapa for our "Paluto" dinner.  As usual, with the hordes of prawns, clams and squids that we ordered, I was at seafood heaven!  After sharing dinner with some new found foreign friends, we freshened up and headed to our first stop, Epic.

By far, I think Epic is the best club in Boracay.  With its chic ambiance, fine bar list and awesome music, Epic is a must see for everyone who loves Boracay not only for its sand and sea but also for its nightlife.  I am not sure when they implemented it but the last time I was there, you just show up and if you happen to see a free table, you just grab it and it's yours.  Now, they charge Php 3,000 per table and the feee is consumable.  I think if you go there in groups and you're really out there to drink, the fee is just fine.  So we ordered pitcher after pitcher of my favorite cocktail, Mojito and the occasional bottles of Red Horse.  I'm not much of a drinker but since this moment eluded me for some time, I let my hair down and drank to my hearts content.

That was just the first stop, we went to two other clubs after Epic before we called it a night.

It would be very hard to recount the past five days in one post, so I decided to have a series of post all about the past five days.